A Tiara
Saturday the 7th of January 1978
Hermione had always had a bit of a temper on her.
A curse of having a small portion of Black blood running through her veins, or maybe she just never dealt with her anger well. There had been moments throughout her life where it had seemed to explode, like a power coursing through her veins and a promise of vengeance towards those who had done her wrong. And it was something she had always hated.
Except when it came to him. Albus fucking Dumbledore.
It secretly filled her to watch the emotions, the anger play in his eyes as she threw accusation and honesty into his face as though it was a bludger. Made her want to cheer in joy when he finally put down the calm facade and fought back. It was sick but she didn’t care.
Or she shouldn’t, but as she laid in her bed and thought about the past few days she always came back to their argument and what it meant.
Hermione all but shouted the password at the gargoyle guarding Dumbledore’s office, a glare on her face as she made her way up the stair and stopped outside the entrance.
Yelling could be heard from inside, from a voice she knew all too well and wanted to stop, because he didn’t understand and he was at risk of ruining it for her.
“...whatever you’ve done!”
“Sirius, I understand your anger and your loyalty to your friends but you speak of things that you do not understand.” Dumbledore’s tone was calm but there was an edge there that let Hermione know he was done with this whole pointless argument, and for once she might agree.
Sirius was being rash. It would never do well to try and go against the Head Master when you didn’t fully understand what you were going up against or what was at risk. But it also warmed her heart to hear him try and defend her. “Don’t under- I don’t need to understand when it’s obvious that you’ve done something to her that you need to fix!”
“I will excuse the yelling, Mr Black, as you are emotional, but I will not have you accuse me of things.” Dumbledore spoke sternly as Sirius let out a loud puff of air. “Now I suggest you take yourself back to your tower and use the time to calm down before you say something regretful.”
“This isn’t over.” Sirius spat out but his footsteps headed towards the door, his face appearing after a second as the door flung open and he stepped out.
“Sirius – what are you -”
“Hermione.” Sirius spoke, cutting her off as he looked back over her shoulder. “Nothing going on? Bullshit.” He spat out towards Dumbledore before he looked back at her with a hardened expression. “What the fuck is happening?” He asked her as she closed her eyes and let out a sigh.
“I...I can’t…” For many different reasons, there always seemed to be one, but right now it was simply because she couldn’t. And it hurt her as much as it seemed to hurt him.
“Yeah...whatever.” A scoff left his mouth as he shook his head and gave her a look that punched her straight in the gut, and then he was walking away, fast paced footsteps and muffled words under his breath.
“Miss Potter.” Dumbledore called softly from his office. Hermione bowed her head before heading inside, the door closing behind her with a soft thud as she stared at the man, same as always and sat behind his desk like it was some kind of throne. “Please sit.” He gestured to the chair with a smile as Hermione frowned.
“What did you do to me?” Her tone was controlled even as she fumed. “Was a wall in my head not enough? Did you have to block my ability to speak about it too?”
“I needed to keep you safe.” He spoke like a parent would. Determined and soft, like you wouldn’t be able to see their thought process even if it was explained, and Hermione was tired of it. She already had two parents who decided the best for her, she didn’t need Dumbledore trying to step in either.
A hiss left her mouth as she leaned forward and placed her hands on the desk, narrowing her eyes as she spoke lowly to him, “You needed to keep me controlled – it is not your choice on what I say or what I do.”
“Tonight you were planning on telling, Mr Black, who a couple of months ago you were sure had been placed under the Imperius Curse.” Not a suggestion or a question but a matter of fact, it made Hermione’s stomach twist. She hoped he only knew because Sirius had been here and not because he was spying on her.
“Something you did nothing about.”
“And despite that you wanted to tell him.” Dumbledore continued as though she hadn’t spoken. “Voldemort already has an eye on you, he is eager for you to join, imagine the desperation he would feel if he was to hear of what you know – there would be no stopping him from doing whatever he could to get you.” There was no stopping him now, the moment Hermione left the school there would be something waiting for her, she was sure of it.
“That’s the only reason? Because Voldemort wants me?” She asked regardless as Dumbledore gave her a sad little smile that had her scoffing. “You’re a liar, Sir.”
“Perhaps to you, my dear, but I am merely doing whatever I can to protect you and the delicate future we hold in our hands.” Dumbledore answered calmly, looking down at his desk and shuffling a few papers around as Hermione straightened her back.
“I am not unreasonable, Sir, I think a polite conversation and a reminder of the risks would stop me from making a mistake and eliminate the need to silence me.” Hermione spat out, pure disgust in her mouth like bile.
“As you have told me before, you take matters into your own hands – so I took matters into my own.”
Dumbledore had always been formidable, and there was a reason why Voldemort was, for lack of a better word, afraid to take him on. It wasn’t the mismatched Order that rallied behind him, nor the sway he held, but his power. He was talented, intelligent and held so power in his hands that anyone would be stupid to go against him.
Hermione had always thought herself as smart, but there was some merit in stupidity, it seemed.
“You have made me a prisoner in my own mind – that is not taking matters into your own hand, that is chaining me up!” The words tore out of her like a slap that had him wincing away. “If you wanted to do something then you could have started with using the information about the future I know to finish this war.” She pointed a pale finger towards him as she snarled.
“I will not have this argument with you again, Miss Potter.” His tone had reached the edge of finality, hands clasped tightly on the table before him and eyes no longer twinkling.
“And I will not let you manipulate this war or me to your advantage.” Hermione snapped, words pouring from her mouth before she could stop them. “The future was bleak, Sir, and I remember enough to know what I have to do to finish Voldemort once and for all, and I will, regardless of how you try and stop me.” There was no stutter as she spoke to the glaring Headmaster.
Her mind spun faster as she tried to hide the thoughts, pushing them back and keeping the scowl on her face. There had been no issue in speaking to him, no tied tongue or stuttering words, it had come as easy as breathing. A loophole thrown back in his face without Dumbledore even knowing.
“Miss Potter -”
“This conversation is no longer up for debate.” Hermione whispered out. “If you try anything again then I won’t stand idly by, so for the next six months let us be nothing more than a teacher and student who have nothing to speak about.” She gestured between them, taking a step back and preparing to turn.
Dumbledore’s eyes narrowed slightly, his calm demeanour slipping. “Miss Potter, you don’t understand the gravity of the situation. The knowledge you possess is dangerous. If Voldemort were to find out -”
“I know exactly what’s at stake.” Hermione interrupted again, teeth gnashing together in her anger. “I just no longer care.” And with that she turned, storming towards the door and leaving the old man behind her.
She didn’t care what else he had to say, didn’t care what else he might try and do to her, because she would figure out a way around it and do what she had to do to keep her friends safe and bring Voldemort down.
...
“Hermione?” A gentle and slightly soothing voice called, bringing her out of her memory so she could focus on the bright emerald eyes against a pinkish face staring at her from the end of her bed.
“What?” Hermione mumbled back as she shifted to lay on her side, gripping her pillow and shoving her face into it.
“You can’t keep laying in bed all day, people are worried.” Lily spoke softly, sitting at the end of the bed and patting Hermione’s leg before sighing when her best friend did nothing but scoff. “Sirius asked about you.” She added after a second, like she thought Hermione’s head would pop up.
“Good for him.” She mumbled instead.
“He’s worried about you, he keeps thinking he’s made things worse and he’s going on about Dumbledore and...and he went to speak to Regulus.” Hermione looked up this time, a frown on her face as Lily winced and looked down.
She could almost picture it now, Sirius demanding answers from his little brother who would have no clue what was happening, it was enough to make her want to scream in frustration. “Oh for...Regulus has nothing to do with this!”
“I know – even Marlene told him that, or well yelled that at him, but he thinks he’s like Nancy Drew or something.” Lily cried, throwing her arms into the air as Hermione frowned.
“Who?”
“It’s a book about – not important…” Lily mumbled out as she moved further up the bed to sit closer to Hermione, a nervous expression flitting across her face as she continued speaking. “Listen, we know you can’t say anything, but me, James or Remus could talk to-”
“No.” The word tore out of her throat like a growl, slightly too harsh to use with her best friend who was only trying to help.
“Hermione -”
“Did you not hear what Dumbledore did to me?” Hermione snapped as she sat up fully with a glare. “And that was only because I was thinking of telling Sirius – what do you think he will do when he finds out the three of you know?” She added but it wasn’t really a question as she moved past her friend to stand up. “We push him too far and we will all face the consequences.”
“Mi - “
“I wouldn’t put it past him to silence us all, or even obliviate those who are not supposed to know...so no, we can’t tell Sirius, not yet anyway.” Hermione mumbled as she looked away. Lily sighed and stood up from the bed.
“Alright then we won’t tell him that, but we have to tell him something before he does something stupid.” She was right, of course she was, but she still looked at Hermione like she wasn’t sure.
“Hasn’t he already?” Hermione muttered as Lily let out a small laugh before she frowned.
“Mi’, if that’s the reason you don’t want to tell him -”
“I just told you why we can’t tell him.” Hermione snapped once more, pushing herself from her bed to pace and send a glare to Lily. It wasn’t her best friends fault in the slightest and Hermione understood that but she was tired of people telling her what she should and shouldn’t do.
None of them understood. None of them could see the consequences before them. Hermione hadn’t wanted this many people to know, it had come out because she was backed into a corner, and every other person that found out was a risk that she wasn’t willing to take.
Sirius had already been under the imperius without knowing because someone took matters into their own hands, what would happen to him if someone actually thought he knew something? And with the way he was storming around these days it was only a matter of time.
Lily sighed, settling her hands onto her lap as she gave Hermione a look. “You told me one valid reason, and now it seems you want there to be another so you have no reason to tell him.” As usual she hit the nail on the head, and said it so calmly. “Mi’, I know it’s scary but -”
“I don’t want to tell him.” Hermione finally whispered, her whole body seeming to curve in on itself as she closed her eyes. “As harsh and cruel as that sounds, I have reason – I tried to tell him and I couldn’t, granted I was under a spell, but instead of waiting and trying to see or even help me, he ran away to shout at Dumbledore based on one word – and Regulus soon after.” It hurt more than she cared to admit.
Her boyfriend running away in a misguided attempt to try and help but he had only twisted the noose tighter around her neck. Dumbledore was watching her, all of them, now.
“Hermione -”
“Just think of it for a sec, Lil’, think of how he would react if I had been able to tell him and who was involved.” She spoke, cutting off the girl and opening her eyes. “He wouldn’t wait for a quiet moment to talk about it, because that’s not who he is, his anger takes over and in that moment he doesn’t think.” Still it sounded like an excuse to her own ears, even if it was mixed with the truth.
“So you won’t tell him because you can’t and you don’t want to?” Lily asked, uncomfortable but there was something like understanding in her eyes.
“I’d tell him if I could, granted he would have to be strapped down and locked inside, but I will tell him when I figure out a way to get rid of this spell.” Hermione finally settled on. “And it will be me who tells him and no one else.” She added sharply, giving Lily a pointed look as the girl nodded her head.
“Ok – ok, I trust you and this is your secret to tell – not mine or anyone elses.” Lily muttered softly, giving an equally soft smile. “You lead and we follow.”
“I don’t want to be a leader.”
“Tough shit.” Lily chuckled out as she slapped her hands onto her lap and stood up from the bed. “So great leader, what are we going to do now?” A singular eyebrow raised and a teasing smile had Hermione rolling her eyes.
“We are going to find that diadem.”
…
Hermione sighed as she threw what looked like a burnt coat to the other tower of artefacts, almost hitting Lily in the face with it. “How hard is it to find an old ugly bust?” She mumbled under her breath with a pout as she looked around. “How many people would even put one in here?”
There were books, parchments, clothes, animal crates, and even a cupboard. The whole place made no sense, nor why people just seemed to shove everything and anything in here without rhyme or reason. Yet, there was nothing that she was actually looking for.
“You’d be surprised the gifts people get from people.” Lily muttered as she picked up a book, turning it over in her hand and placing it down gently. It seemed like the whole tower was about to fall on them.
“Please don’t tell me Petunia got you an ugly bust for Christmas?” Hermione had to ask, even as Lily gave her an amused smile.
“No, just an ugly blouse that I’m sure was just some cast off gift she didn’t want.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah, but it’s better than the pair of socks I got the year before.” A chuckle left her mouth as she stretched on her toes to look at the tower, plucking something from it with an interested look. “Now this diadem…” She added as she threw the thing back on the tower and turned to look at Hermione.
“Should be around here, I think – it’s hard to remember.” Hermione muttered, she had tried as best as she could to follow the directions in her dream, but this place was vast and packed full of things with no markers as to where they actually were. “If we could just find the stupid bust then -”
“What if it’s not with the bust?” Lily asked, cutting her off, spinning around with narrowed eyes.
“What?” Hermione snapped, letting out a deep sigh. “But I saw it -”
“In a dream about the future years from now, I doubt that Voldemort and your future friend are the only people who have been in here – I mean look at this rubbish.” Lily scoffed out, throwing her arms towards the piles of things before looking back to Hermione.
She had a point, things changed and there was a gap between Tom placing the diadem in here and Harry finding it. Someone could have moved it, or put it somewhere else, and now they were stuck in the middle of this place with no answers.
An almost whimper left her mouth as she looked around, they had already tried accio and nothing happened, but she honestly didn’t know if she wanted to risk digging around for a diadem that might not even be there. Yet, it wasn’t like she could just walk away without finding it, if she wanted to end Voldemort than this was one of the many keys.
And they only had so long to find it before they were unable to any more.
Her mouth open to say something before snapping closed as Lily gave her a smile that bordered on amused and pity. “You said the diadem was on an old wig with the bust – sounds like a marker to me.”
“Again – what?” Hermione sighed out, running a hand through her hair as she looked around once more.
“Not everyone remembers where they put things, so they make something obvious so they can remember – I used to do it all the time when I was younger with my dolls that Petunia wanted, she never found them and I never lost them.” Lily answered as she prodded her way through some things, pulling gently and placing them to one side, her wand in her hand and ready to be used.
“Ok.”
“You never did that with James?” Lily asked with raised eyebrows, sending a quick look to Hermione as her face shifted to slightly guilty. “Or with your grandparents?”
“My grandparents didn’t really believe in personal objects, my room was kept minimal.” Hermione answered as she focused on her own pile, a smile taking over her face as she thought of her family. “And it’s never been James I have to worry about rummaging through my stuff.” A pointed look in Lily’s direction had the girls cheeks turning pink.
“I told you that you left that note to Harry out when you fainted, I didn’t look for anything.” Lily whispered back, turning her head away but her cheeks remained pink.
“I’m not just talking about you.” Hermione whispered back, dropping the book she was holding to fully face Lily. “Don’t you think I don’t know that Sirius would be up and searching through our dormitory if he could, or that he hasn’t already asked someone else to do it for him.” She gave Lily another pointed look but the girl didn’t blush this time.
“I told him no – and so did Marlene, well actually she told him to fuck off.”
“But it just proves my point, doesn’t it?” Hermione bitterly laughed as she sat herself on one of the piles while Lily sighed, every thought flying across her pink tinged skin. “I’m a horrible person.” She muttered more to herself than Lily who sighed.
She wasn’t blind to how people who were involved felt about the situation, they made it obvious enough, but it wasn’t as easy as telling someone. Sirius, as much as she loved him, was a liability and it wasn’t what she need, as cruel as it made her feel.
“Hermione -”
“I don’t need you to try and prove me wrong, I know what I am and I’ll deal with it.” Hermione all but snapped, her hands clenching as she stood up and pushed her curls over her shoulder, looking away from Lily. “We need to get back to looking the diadem.” She mumbled out as she went back to her pile, listening to the girl sigh behind her.
There was probably more that Lily wanted to discuss and maybe if Hermione was in a better mood then she would have spoken about it, or maybe she would have tried to avoid it. It didn’t matter now because Hermione was done with this conversation or trying to explain herself, and Lily seemed to understand that finally as she went back to her own pile.
There was silence for a few seconds, other than objects being dropped to the ground or moved around before Lily let out a small gasp.
Hermione spun around, her mouth opened, hands clutching rubbish as Lily grinned largely. “Don’t – did you find it?”
“No, but I did find – this – how do I look?” Lily asked as she shoved a dusty old wig onto her head, one that was familiar like an old family photo. It was almost getting a glimpse into a future where Lily might be allowed to grow old and live her life, even as her face remained youthful.
“Old...Lil’…” Her throat closed up as Lily took the wig off her head and removed a horrible feeling from Hermione’s chest, and the one that came with her dreams that haunted her of everyone’s dead young faces looking back at her.
Lily didn’t seem to pay attention as she went back to the pile with one hand and the grin still on her face. “Wait, I think I see...an ugly old bust – is this what you see in your dreams?” Hermione’s mouth fell open as Lily pulled out an ugly bust.
The tower wobbled precariously above them, prompting Hermione to wave a quick spell to stop it from falling over and burying them in all it’s shit.
“Just the one dream.” Hermione spoke, raising a hand to point towards the cupboard.“But it was over there.”
Hermione still felt shock as she moved forward, rummaging through the piles and pulling things out with more eagerness, watching Lily from the corner of her eye.
“So whoever moved it, did this…” The redhead spoke as she placed the bust where Hermione had pointed, a frown now on her face as she looked down at the wig and moved to place it on top of the bust. “And then this...and then they rummaged for a bit until they found -”
Hermione’s hand gripped something, a strange sense of dread that would prompt nightmares filling her as she pulled while Lily searched around.
The metal was tarnished and her voice was weak as she called her best friend. “Lil’.”
“That.” Lily whispered as she moved forward to stand before Hermione, her hand raising as though she wanted to touch it before she thought better of it. “It doesn’t look like I thought it would, but I suppose nearly a thousand years would do that – where was it?” Emerald eyes eagerly stared at her, mouth curving into a smile that Hermione couldn’t give back.
“Hidden in plain sight.”
“What do we do now?” Lily asked, almost shaking with joy, one pink finger settling on the metal in Hermione’s hand and pulling back with a frown. “That feels like – like...is that what a Horcrux does to an object?” Her voice wavered, her half finished sentence loud and clear in Hermione’s head.
There was a vague image, a forest in the dead of night and a dimly lit tent behind her. It was cold, and her wand was in her hand but there was a pressure on her chest and a strange whispering in her ear. One hand reached under her top and pulled out a golden locket with an ‘s’ on the front, and suddenly it was like everything made sense.
“I think so.” Hermione whispering, coming back to the present and wanting nothing more than to drop the tainted diadem on the floor.
“It’s disgusting.” Lily whispered back before pulling herself back together. “We can’t take that back to the dorm – we should destroy it here and now.” Her wand was in her hand in a second, a spell probably on the tip of her tongue.
“No.” Hermione rasped out, pushing Lily’s wand down gently. “We can’t risk that, not yet, it needs to stay in here for the next six months without being risked or found.” Hermione explained softly, her hand gripping the diadem tightly. “We need to – would you – do you think you would be able to hide it?” Her voice wavered as she looked down at the diadem.
“Me?”
“Dumbledore’s watching me closer than ever, he’s going to try get in my head about what I might be doing or might know, and I’ll do my best to keep him out but if he somehow sees something then he won’t know where it is either.” Hermione spoke softly, holding out the diadem for Lily to take but her best friend just stared at it.
“Mi’...as much as I appreciate you trusting me with this – if he can get something like this out of your head then he’ll get it from mine with no issue.” Lily pointed out, gently and as though she was speaking to a child. “We need a better plan, one that if he gets it from our heads that he still isn’t going to know where it is.”
Hermione’s teeth dug into her bottom lip, before she let out a sigh. “I might have an idea.”
It was a long shot and things would need to be sorted out and somehow kept minimal, but the wheels were turning in her brain, and Lily was looking at her expectantly. “Ok...so...”
“I can’t say anything, not right now anywhere – the less everyone knows the better.” Lily’s lips pursed but a small smile broke out as she nodded her head.
“Alright, as long as I get credit for helping you find it.”
Hermione nodded her head with an eager smile. “All yours, for now we’ll hide it somewhere in the room and hopefully in a couple of days it will be gone, so long as I get a letter out tonight.” She whispered the last words as she led them back towards the exit.
...
The diadem almost itched hidden under her cloak, it’s rancid thoughts and feelings seeming to swirl around her, hard to ignore as she focused on Lily as she walked before her on the way back to their tower.
There were still people around, barely paying the two girls any mind but it felt like everyone was looking at Hermione, eyes drifting to her cloak. It made her want to shrink away or run, push the old tiara into her chest and pretend it didn’t exist, made her want to throw it from the Astronomy Tower and hope the fall would break it into a million pieces, the Horcrux with her.
“Hermione.” Lily hissed lowly, narrowed eyes as she took in Hermione’s almost sunken form, curving in on herself as she walked.
Quickly she stood straight, brushing herself off and trying not to wince as they turned the corner, her mouth opening to apologise or say something when someone else spoke for her. "Lily?"
He stood before them, looking like a greasy bat, a cruel sneer on his face as he locked eyes with Hermione. A smirk took over his face, but it fell face and his eyes narrowed as she raised her own, the diadem all but twitched under her cloak as she tried not to smirk herself.
Snape would get nothing from her.
Lily hissed through her teeth, glaring at the boy before them as Hermione tenses slightly. “Well as interesting as this looks, I think I’m going to -”
“You’re going to stay right there.” Lily snapped out, hand reaching out to pull Hermione back, her nails digging through Hermione’s cloak and into her skin. “What do you want Snape?” She asked after a second, glaring at the boy.
“Let the Potter go, this is none of her business.” Snape spat out as he moved forward, cloak flowing around him. It looked two sizes two big and just as dramatic as the boy before her.
“Whatever you want to say to me, you can say in front of her.” Lily snapped out but dropped Hermione’s arm, ignoring as Hermione winced. There would be half moon marks on her pale skin, much like the ones that clung to the palms of her hands. “So either get on with it or move out the way.”
“You used to be much kinder.” Snape drawled out, looking back at Hermione with a frown.
Lily rolled her eyes and reached out for Hermione, though much softer than before. “I don’t have time for this.” She uttered, moving as though to go around Snape only for his hand to reach out and stop them. “Don’t.” She snapped before Snape could grab her.
“I only want to talk.” Snape mumbled out.
“Then talk.” Lily hissed, letting go of Hermione’s arm and stepping backward, curiosity dripping into her words, but her eyes remained colder than the North Pole.
“You need to be careful, Lily.”
“Are you threatening me?” Lily asked, raising an eyebrow but Hermione could see her reaching for her wand, her hand shaking slightly and Hermione couldn’t imagine what it must be like to go against an old friend who you had once trusted.
Her own wand was in her hand and for once Snape lost his arrogance, a glimmer of worry flashing across his face as he looked at the two witches. “I’m not that stupid.” He hissed back, clasping his hands. “I mean, there are things you don’t know and things you need to be careful of -”
“I would think the only thing she needed to be careful of is someone who joined a Muggleborn murdering cunt asking her to talk in private.” Hermione spoke dangerously low as she pulled out her wand and ran it between her fingers with a small smirk.
“Keep quiet, Potter.” Snape snapped back.
“No, she has a point.” Lily spat. “I’m not putting myself at risk by being alone with you.” He flinched and stepped back as though he had been slapped, and Hermione wondered if she had Remus’ ears if she would be able to hear the last of his heart breaking.
They had had this discussion before, but Snape would never want to give up on Lily. His blind obsessions lead him astray in every situation. A hatred for Muggles led him to join a man who would murder his own best friend, a love for Lily had led him down a path where he was cruel and fought with James, who had his own faults but Hermione was not going to get into that.
For a while she had felt a wave of sympathy but now she looked at a man...no boy, who couldn’t seem to grow up and deal with the consequences of his actions. He made poor choices no matter who tried to help, and he didn’t listen, didn’t care to listen. And Lily seemed to always be the one who got hurt.
“I would never hurt you.” He almost whimpered, holding his hands out in a plea that Lily just glared at. “Not like your friends do.”
“What?” Lily sighed out, rolling her eyes as she threw her hands out slightly. “Is that your plan? Try and weave doubt in hopes that I would come back to you? I told you once Snape, I am done with this and I am done with you.” A foot forward that stopped as Snape blocked their way once again.
“They lie to you – all of them.” Snape hissed out as he glared at Hermione who just frowned in confusion.
“What are you talking about, Snape?”
Snape ignored Hermione, and kept his eyes on Lily, lip curling up into his usual sneer. “You have contempt for me because of choices I’ve made, but you forgot to account for one of your own.” Hermione’s whole body felt stiff as he sent her a quick look, mouth curving into a smirk now.
Lily didn’t even blink but Hermione knew she was panicking inside, screaming and ready to run and warn their friends. “I don’t like you because of who you joined, and the risk that put me in, none of my other friends have joined your little club, so I think you can shove your concern up your arse.” And with that she moved past him, pulling Hermione along the way.
“How can you be so sure?” Snape shouted after them, but Lily only stopped to look over her shoulder.
“Because they are not you.” Lily hit back with her own smirk, before walking again as Hermione followed by her side. “We need to warn Marlene.” She whispered under her breath so no one would be able to hear.
“And speak to Regulus about whether he knew or not.” Hermione added as Lily nodded her head.
“I’ll get on that – you deal with that.” Lily hissed out, sending a quick look to Hermione’s cloak. Hermione couldn’t help the small smile, it was great to have a friend who knew how to take charge and was more than capable of sorting out mess.
…
Monday the 9th of January 1978
Hufflepuff
Meet me near the Shrieking Shack at midnight in two days. Tell no one, use polyjuice potion and don’t give yourself away.
H.P
She had sent the letter, and now it was time. A huff left her mouth as she downed the polyjuice potion, trying not to gag nor wince at the way it tasted or how her body changed, her robes adjusted for the body, taller and curvier than her own, before she was moving again.
It was dangerous to be doing this, but she trusted him to ask no questions, and she trusted Lily to keep an eye on the map that she had swiped from James, and make sure no one questioned where it or she had gone with the invisibility cloak that was now stuff into her robes.
The tunnel gave in and led into the old house, floor boards creaking under her feet as she moved towards the door and into the dead of night.
A faint pop sounded from her right, her wand drawn as she turned to see a cloaked figure walking towards her, the face unfamiliar but the confused smile all the same that had her tension easing slightly even as she held her wand higher.
“He -”
“No names, it’s not safe.” Hermione spoke confidently, and though her voice was that of a young Hufflepuff she had gotten the hair from, the tone was all her own and enough to have the man relaxing slightly. “Security questions first.”
His own wand drew, half hidden by his sleeve and a nervous grimace taking over his face. “I wasn’t going to say...where did we meet last year and where did I take you after our little fiasco?” Hermione raised her brows, a smile curving on her lips.
“You have nothing better than that?” She asked after a second, his own lips twitching.
“Our time together has been limited.”
“We met at the Leaky, there were a few problems outside, and you took me and my friend home where my mother was angry.” Hermione explained briefly as his unfamiliar lips curled into an amused smile, and his wand lowered slightly. “What preferences did you hint at the time we were in The Three Broomsticks and a certain someone was a twat?”
“That I lean more towards twigs with berries than I do a bush.” Hermione’s laughter bubbled up out of her before she could stop it as she lowered her wand completely and let him step closer. “And they were a twat, they are still being a twat.” He patted her back gently, and if she had no doubt that it wasn’t Benjy then they were all gone now.
Even as she looked up and saw the same smile on his polyjuiced face, it didn’t make a difference.
“Sorry…sorry...you just surprised me – though I can’t say I disagree with either one of those statements.” Hermione struggled to get out as she straightened herself up and dusted off her robes. This whole situation was strange and it was messing with her head, or maybe that was the package tucked tightly into her robes.
Benjy chuckled slightly, shaking his head at her. “So why did you call me here?” He asked, his hand raising to rub over the stubble that wasn’t his. “Must be urgent if you couldn’t wait until morning.”
His eyes darted around and his wand was still gripped in his hand, and if she focused hard enough then she would have been able to replace his unknown face with his own. They had never been close friends, in fact she had barely known of him when he was at school but there was something about him, kind and calm that made her think she could trust him.
He had helped her in the past year, with Bellatrix, had spoke to her honestly and had made her seem like a friend. And he was an Auror, and a member of the Order, he understood secrecy and discretion.
A sigh left her mouth as she reached into her cloak and pulled out the package, tucked safely in a boring box that wouldn’t give anything away. She held it out for him, only to pull back before he could grab it. “Before you take this, I need you to understand that what I’m giving you is to be kept safe and secret.”
“What is -”
“And questions are off limits.” Hermione cut him off before he could say anything else. “You know occlumency, don’t you?” She asked as she pulled the box back towards her chest and away from him as he frowned. “I should have asked you that first…”
“Maybe, but yes, I am decently skilled in occlumency – kind of helps when you feel like you have to hide a big part of yourself, so whoever you are worried about getting in here, don’t be.” Benjy spoke softly as he tapped the side of his head with a small smile that should have eased her worry but just made her chest tighten.
Hermione pursed her lips and looked away before she sighed. “Even the most skilled occlumens can still let people in.”
“Yes, they can, but I’ll do my best not to give anything away.” He spoke lowly, moving forward slightly. Hermione gripped the box tightly in her hands.
It was now or never. She could hold onto it, hide somewhere where only she knew, and try to keep her mind safe, Benjy might be a bit put out that she brought him here for nothing but he wouldn’t hold it against her and it would be nothing more than a strange night of knowing Hermione had something to hide.
Or she could hand it over, not worry about it for the next few months and know it was safely out of Hogwarts and away from all of them.
A shaky breath left her mouth as she ran a hand over the wood before she looked back at Benjy. “Take it and place it somewhere safe, and when I finish here, give it back.” She mumbled softly as she held out the box for him to take.
“Of course.”
“And most importantly, tell no one about this.” She pointed a finger towards him as he nodded his head, seeming to understand who she was talking about without having to say it, as he reached tentatively for the box and rubbed his hand over the top. “You won’t be able to open it.”
“I wasn’t going to.” He answered even softer, a frown on his face as he tucked the box into his robes and offered her a gentle smile. “Thank you for trusting me.” He added after a second.
A wary smile curved on her lips, she did trust him in part but it wasn’t the never ending trust that she had put in her brother. It was a trust that he would do what was asked of him and say nothing else about it, and not because he was a friend, but it would only hurt more if she told him that.
“You’re a friend, and you proved that last year and again today – so thank you.” Hermione whispered as he nodded his head in agreement.
“Always happy to help.” Benjy spoke before shoving his hands into his robe pockets and shivering slightly, the wind picking up and blowing icily into their faces. “Don’t tell your friends that though, they’ve done enough with my help.” He raised a brow and a hint of amusement shone in his eyes.
“This whole conversation remains strictly between you and I.”
“Well then, I better -” He gestured behind him as Hermione began to nod her head only for him to stand straight and look back at her. "Do you know Occlumency?" A frown took over her face, her mouth opening to answer when he continued speaking. “I just...there’s no point me being able to keep this a secret and protecting us if you aren’t able to too.”
Hermione could understand that, but she couldn’t stop the sigh leaving her mouth. “I know enough, and I’ve managed to protect my mind from people who’ve tried to look inside before.” She winced as she finished, Benjy would shove that box right back into her hands if she couldn’t offer some safety for him too.
Instead he chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. “Good enough.” He said softly before taking a couple of steps backwards. “I guess I will see you in a few months then...and if anything happens before then, well then I’ll let you know.”
“The idea is to not let anything happen to it.” Hermione all but shouted as she walked after him, his longer legs creating more and more distance as she frowned at his back.
“I’ll do my best.” He chuckled again, giving her one last grin as he stopped in his tracks and gripped his wand tightly, while sending her a wink. "Stay safe."
Her mouth opened to say something else, only snapping shout and he turned on the spot and disappeared with a small pop, leaving her stood alone outside of the Shrieking Shack, looking like a completely different person.
Merlin, she hoped he didn’t do anything stupid. That he kept it and his mind safe because if they lost this then it might as well be over. A horcrux on the loose would mean that Voldemort would be free from death no matter how many others they destroyed.
Slowly she turned back around and into the shack, sitting on the floor and letting out a sigh as she waited for her body to change back into her own.